Selected Papers In School Finance

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys the changing landscape in education finance by commissioning papers from members of the school finance research community. Papers that address the questions of the current and future financial condition for school districts are presented here. The papers, which are intended to promote the exchange of ideas among researchers and policymakers, take two separate tacks. One set explores the present financial condition of school districts, focusing on how a retiring work force may influence the finances of school districts, how school districts respond to fiscal exigencies, and the efficacy of urban school districts. The other papers propose an imaginative new way of funding education, at the school level, and simulates the results for Texas, offering a summary of issues and problems related to school-based funding approaches. The recurrent theme revolves around the proposition that state aid should be distributed to schools rather than to school districts. Some of the specific topics addressed here include the dynamics of teacher salary expense, how school districts respond to fiscal constraint, the condition of urban school finance, reinventing education finance, and exploring alternatives for school-based funding. (RJM)